A Little Note

Today I'm borrowing something old!  Sorry for the radio silence last week but I got a shiny new knee and the recovery process has been a great reminder of how  I am certainly not in control!  I was so sure I could Zoom with the girls, lead staff morning prayer, write and carry on life as normal from my chair.  Yeah...not so much!  I'm grateful, humbled and today reminded that if I'd like to present something meaningful, I'd better go with a re-post!  

Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees. ~ Corrie Ten Boom

Each year as the little lovelies come to my classroom I’m on the lookout for the storyteller. They are the one who can make a 20 word story last for 7 minutes.  They are usually very animated and I love listening them bring a simple event to life with living color and spectacular detail.  Unfortunately we don’t always have time to stay tuned in for the entire story and I have to ask them to skip to the end or give us the “tiny size story”.  I hate to do it but sometimes I just have to. One year not so long ago I had 4 storytellers and that was the year I learned a true appreciation for the gift of telling a powerful story in just a few, choice, touching words.  I just began reading a new book called God Help Me: How to Grow in Prayer by Jim Beckman and it is fabulous; he is an amazing storyteller!

Sometimes I use too many words like the storytellers in my classroom so today, I’m going to borrow some simple, powerful words from Mr. Beckman…I don’t think  he’ll mind; especially if you become inspired and decide to buy the book yourself.  I hope they hit your heart as hard as they hit mine.

“I previously approached prayer as a kind of drug.  I used it to help me feel close to god, to give me experiences of his presence.  But as with a drug, I could choose when to take it and I could sometimes go without it.  Prayer now has become more like air.  It’s not really an option: I can’t breathe without it; I can’t live without it.”

“There is very little in prayer that depends on me.  I can’t make myself have deep spiritual experiences.  I can’t create consolation for myself.  I can’t make up a word from God or make myself any holier.  All of that depends on God.  His movements are his and I can’t do anything to make them happen.  The only things that I bring to the mix are consistently showing up for prayer and the disposition of my heart when I’m there.”

How’s that for straight to the point!  I don’t think there’s any need for more words today…I need to concentrate on these and see where He leads me and my prayer time.

A Seed To Plant:  Take these two passages to prayer with you and see what the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart about them.

Blessings on your day!